Tell me about your life: A cultural exchange between Germany and the UAE

The latest focus is on the growing popularity of the region as a place for higher educational institutions to create new programs and open new campuses. To facilitate that interest, the Goethe-Institut of the Gulf Region has introduced a cultural exchange program which allows German students to have direct access to and contact with Emirati, Omani and Bahraini students. The program is designed to allow German and Arab students the opportunity to meet and explore each other's culture and heritage.

The project is called "Tell me about your everyday - college life in the Gulf Region," and it will result in the completion of several short documentary films that examine the everyday lives of Arabic students. The Goethe-Institut suggested that the female German students be partnered with students at the Abu Dhabi Women's College to create the documentary film on female Emiratis. Since ADWC is HCT's Centre of Excellence in Applied Media Technology, the ADWC students were delighted to have this chance at cultural exchange.

Fatima Helal Al Balooshi and Raweya Al Muflehi were chosen to participate in the project and were extremely excited about the opportunity to learn across the cultural divide. Both students are interested in the German culture and wanted to learn more about the process of documentary filmmaking. Ines Bauermeister and Sandra Staffl, both from Germany, felt the same way. Neither of them had been to the UAE prior to this trip, and both wanted the opportunity to have firsthand interaction with Middle Eastern culture and students.

"This is a very exciting time for us," explained Sandra. "We have been surprised and pleased by much of what we've found here. This is a land of extremes. Although most students are very interested in the latest technology, they also want to hold on to their traditions. Through our eyes it's interesting to see a woman in traditional dress [abaya and shayla or niqab] talking on the latest model mobile phone and probably driving the latest model SUV." Ines agreed. "This experience has taught us to be flexible in our beliefs and thoughts. We see that different cultures have different approaches, but we all want the same success."

Fatima and Raweya noted that the opportunity has provided many new experiences for them. They appreciate the exposure to a new culture, new ideas and new ways of thinking. "Even though we have differences, we find that we have much in common," said Fatima. "We grew up hearing the same fairytales and similar stories, but this is our first time doing a documentary and they have taught us how to look for interesting ways to tell stories." Raweya added that they have learned new techniques in filmmaking. The girls were accustomed to working with cameras on tripods, but the German students showed them how to move with the camera. "It takes practice to get a steady hand like hers," Raweya said, while pointing at Sandra.

The students have been filming all around Abu Dhabi, including in the desert, shopping malls and coffee shops, the beach, in homes, on the Corniche, and around Heritage Village. Sandra and Ines explained that when they arrived in the UAE, it was November 30th -- just at the start of National Day celebrations. "What better way to be introduced into a culture than to land in the middle of a party!" Sandra exclaimed.

The students wish they had more time to be together and to learn from each other. They have been filming almost from the moment their plane landed. As filmmakers, Sandra and Ines agree that it was great to start filming right away because they were aware of everything and did not want to miss anything. However, both girls believe that it would have been a wonderful experience to spend more time simply talking to and getting to know Fatima and Raweya because that additional time would have given them an even deeper appreciation for the country. Raweya agreed, adding that one of their best days together was when they turned the camera off and just talked to each other without worrying about what was said or how it was said.

The team has finished filming and they are now working on sound synchronization and Arabic translation. Ines' expertise is in sound mixing, so she will handle this area while Fatima and Raweya work on translating the dialogue into Arabic. The final film will be in English with Arabic and German subtitles. The girls anticipate having a rough cut of the film, which will be approximately 15 minutes long, within the next week, but they all agree that the final polished film will probably not be ready until sometime in the spring. So far, they have not given a title to their film, but they all agree that as they continue to work on the project, the correct title will come to them.

All of the young women agree that the project has been an amazing learning experience for them, and that although it has been a lot of hard to work to complete in a short period of time, it has ultimately been more fun than work. When asked what they will take away from this experience, the young filmmakers agreed that women around the world are not that much different. As Ines put it, "We may have different traditions, but our ways of thinking are very much the same."

When asked if there was any particular message that the Emirati students wanted to send, both Fatima and Raweya were very clear that they wanted Westerners to have the correct view of Emirati women, and they hoped the film would present a clearer picture of their way of life and their culture. As Fatima put it, "We have our own lives. We can do everything. The abaya and shayla does not hold us back!"